The Princess and the Welder

Ch. 4 “Just like old times?”

It was easily one of the hottest days of the year. My overwhelming desire to cool off this morning prompted me to drive to the beach. But not just any beach. My beach. No one really knows about this place. It is my little secret. It is peaceful and incredibly relaxing. I can come to bathe out in the sun or I can come down to watch the sun set. It is my own little hideaway.
As soon as I laid down onto my blanket, I felt the tension relax in my shoulders. I pulled off my pants and slowly lifted my sweatshirt over my head. The still warm air caressed my skin sweetly. I sighed happily. My eyes drifted shut, as my back molded into the soft sand underneath the blanket. I listened for quite a long time to the rhythmic symphony of the waves. Suddenly invigorated, I opened my eyes and glanced up and down the beach. Not another soul in sight. I slowly reach behind and unclasped my bikini top. Feeling my nipples contract in the warm breeze sent chills down my spine. I settled back into the sand, feeling quite free and happy.
After a few lengthy minutes, my head popped back up. I glanced left and then right. Still not a soul in sight. I was truly alone. I quickly stood up and peeled my bikini bottom off. A sudden and erotic chill ran up my spine. I felt free, completely liberated. I always found it funny how being nude can always elicit such excitement. Quickly, I laid back down, trying to relax once again in the sunshine. My eyes drifted shut a few seconds later. I just laid there, I did not think, or at least I tried not to. The air seemed to almost be caressing me, just like he did. Just like in a movie, memories in shot snip-its flowed freely in mind of the last time he touched me. All the emotions seemed so strong but somehow strangely vague. I tried to focus once again on listening to the waves.
Then, I heard something that was out of place, a sound that should not have been there; at least not right now. Footsteps. This sound interrupted my peaceful and private thoughts. My eyes remained closed as shells and small pebbles were treaded upon. The steps were getting closer. My heartbeat increased ever so slightly as I remembered that, at the present moment, I was incredibly exposed and helpless.
My eyes opened slowly, hoping that my imagination was playing tricks on me, that there was no footsteps. No such luck. His eyes met mine. My heart stopped. He seemed to tower above me but I did not shrink away with fear or embarrassment. He gazed at my body for a moment and a wicked smile spread across his face. For some odd reason, his smile calmed me and slightly bewitched me. He knelt down beside me. I semi-sat up, leaning back on my elbows. My eyelids fluttered closed as he trailed his fingers along my cheek. His touch was feather light but it set me afire. My sight drifted down towards the sand. He lifted my chin and our eyes met again. As I became lost in those eyes, I felt a hand begin trailing down my side.
My own hands began a discovery of their own. My hands blazed down his chest. Every touch, every caress kindled the fire that was slowly building up inside me. A fire that only he could create. A small gasp escaped from my lips. His lips found mine instantly. His tongue mated with mine. Emotions swept over me in quick succession. I had never known such desire before. He seemingly sensed my urgency. He began a new trail down the length of my body, placing tender kisses along the way. Each caress of his lips on my skin gave me the chills. The sudden warmth of his mouth on my bare skin was soon replaced by the cooler ocean air. It was intoxicating.
My hand snaked forward searching. I began longing to possess him. My palm quickly found his hardness as his head ducked down between my legs. My back arched as he found his treasure before I could claim mine. My lips explored me thoroughly, painstakingly slow. My breathing grew shorter and much more shallow. Normally when in this situation, I am incapable of any coherent thought, but here with him, my thoughts were bent on the prize against the palm. I craved to feel him between my lips. I yearned to have him writhe before me.
Immediately, I pried his manhood out from its prison. He stiffened ever so slightly. A smile crept across my face as I took him into my mouth as he continued to explore the soft folds of my womanhood. I, to this day, am unsure of what gave me more pleasure, the moans and groans that dripped from his mouth or the magic he was weaving between my legs. We were lost in each other. I could feel the delicious pressure starting to build. It would not be long now till I reached the point of no return.
Just as quickly as he appeared there, he slipped from between my hips. He pulled himself away from me. I sighed, the fire still burning, and searched his eyes. His pupils were dilated with desire. His lips sought mine again as he laid me down into the soft sand. His power masculine body positioned itself above mine. His eyes never left mine. My hands swept up his back and I clung to him as he entered me. He swore under his breath and gasped quietly. His lips crushed upon mine, his tongue discovering the softness of my mouth again. My movements soon matched his, my hips rising to meet his repeatedly. With each thrust, my emotions ran wildly.
The tensions grew intense, my muscles spasmed. My mind exploded as the first waves of my orgasm washed over me. All consciousness abandoned me. I felt him tense deep within me. My eyes managed to drag themselves open and meet his again. His seed spilled into me as another wave washed over me. We both slumped into the sand completely, lost in each other once again. Our mutual hunger was satisfied. After some time, he smiled at me. He ran a hand along my cheek and kissed me deeply. He rose and left me sitting there with more wonderful memories….

“Dee-Dee, baby, what are you writing over there?” Thomas asked.
Denise smiled and shut her notebook, “Nothing.”
“Nothing, huh? May I read it?” he asked sweetly, expecting the notebook to be put into his hands.
She gripped it tighter. She had no intentions of letting Thomas read what she had written. It was private. There…she could say that! “Uh, baby, it’s sorta private, plus it’s not finished yet. It won’t really make sense to anyone but me,” she rambled.
Denise had been cooped up in Thomas’ office for four hours. He had a meeting that ran two hours over. That might have been just as well because Dee was in no mood to deal with him. There was only one man running through her thoughts at the present time.
“That’s just as well because there was something I wanted to talk to you about,” he spoke quickly. He sat into his chair behind his desk.
She inwardly groaned *It’s never a good thing when he sits behind that desk* She sat up on the couch, “What’s up? Is something wrong with the case?”
“No. No, the case is going along quite smoothly. I wanted to talk about your friend Munder.”
“What about Munder?” she asked, hoping she sounded innocent. Yet she was not sure what exactly she was guilty of.
Thomas interlaced his fingers, “That was a pretty…uh…intimate embrace at the pub this morning…”
Dee interrupted, “Thomas, he’s my best friend and I have not seen him in over a year…”
Thomas cut her off, “I realize…but, given the history between the two of you…I just wanted to make sure that we do not have a problem, Dee-Dee.”
For some odd reason, she felt very angry, “Why would we have a problem?”
“Well, Denise, let’s be honest. Every time he comes home from that boat, you’re conveniently…well…he always finds a way to get you back into his bed,” Thomas muttered.
Her eyes lowered. He had no right to talk to her like this! Last time she saw Jack, she and Thomas had not even met yet. “Thomas, if you can’t trust me, then we do have a problem…a big one,” she said, standing up.
“What are you doing?” he asked, watching her.
She shook her head. She opened her bag and dropped the notebook into it. She threw on her coat and turned back to the desk, “Listen, baby, you’ve got a lot of work to do. I do not want to delay your case. Besides, I promised Munder we’d catch up tonight. Maybe you should stay in the city for the night, I think it would be hard for Munder to…”
“Hard for Munder?” Thomas swallowed. He felt his anger rising steadily now.
“Do not start with me now! Thomas, you’ve just got to accept that Munder was and still is a big part of my life. He is my best friend. Yes, we dated and yes, we’ve slept together on numerous occasions, but you know all of that. I have not lied to you and I do not plan to start now. I love you…if I didn’t want to be with you, then I wouldn’t be with you, ok?” she explained.
He nodded. He knew she was right. They had been faithful to each other thus far. They…well, he had been very happy up until this morning when he first saw Munder. He got up and walked around the desk. He wrapped Denise in a hug, “You are absolutely right, I am very very sorry. I do trust you, Dee-Dee, and I love you more than life itself. You’re okay to drive home?” he asked placing a soft kiss into her hair.
She looked up and smiled, “Yeah, of course, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get back into town.”
Thomas nodded and kissed her softly. Denise stepped outside Thomas’ office and leaned against the wall. She sighed deeply and felt unsure of what she was doing leaving the office. She glanced back at the door and quickly turned to leave. She had to talk to Jack.

Jack Munder was pouring a shot when Dee walked silently into the pub. He looked up and stared at her disappointedly.
Dee, feeling uneasy, began to slide her coat from her shoulders, “What?” Munder said nothing. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”
He realized that he had to say something, “No reason in particular.”
“Munder.”
Inwardly groaning, he threw back the shooter and poured another, “Where’s Thomas?” He poured two more shots.
Dee shrugged, “He’s in the city for a few days. Big case, you know.”
Munder sighed loudly, but nodded. Then there was silence. It just wasn’t possible. He had been away for a year. She had missed him terribly yet they had nothing to say to one another? This had never happened before, neither knew how to act.
She leaned forward onto the counter. She quickly downed one of the shots he had poured. He watched her expectantly. She met his gaze with a sad smile, “I’m glad you’re finally home.”
He wanted to say that he had been excited to be home, but, somehow, that just wasn’t true anymore. He lied, “Me too. So,” he cleared his throat, “What the hell have you been up to? When did Thomas come into the picture?”
Dee settled on a stool, “Well a little while ago I met Thomas in a bar…we just kinda hit it off, I guess.”
“I see,” Munder answered skeptically.
“He’s a lawyer…a good one,” she said, for lack of knowing what else to say.
His hazel eyes darkened and lowered, “So, I’ve been told.” He leaned forward, his palms resting on the bar.
“Jack, are we okay?” There she said it. It was out there.
Jack’s eyes remained lowered for several more seconds. Was he okay with this? For a second he thought he was seeing a shadow, but, he soon realized that the dim lighting in the pub had bounced off her ring. The ring…he felt even worse. He could never give her anything like that. Only a big city lawyer could afford a pumpkin-sized diamond. He thought grimly. He looked up, “Of course we’re okay.”
She ran a nervous hand through her hair, “I’m so sorry about this morning. I had no idea you were coming home. I feel bad having put you on this spot with Thomas.”
“Dee, it’s okay. I just showed up. No one knew I was coming home,” he paused, “Can I ask you something?”
Her face displayed no emotion, “Jack, you knew you can always ask me anything.”
“Does this guy make you happy?” Munder asked.
She hesitated, “Yea, he does.”
What had he expected? That she was going to admit that she didn’t love her fiancée? That she still loved him? He wasn’t sure. “I’m happy for you, Dee.” She gently rubbed at his arm, relief flooding her eyes. He knew that he came home too late.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately,” he said.
She smiled, “Me too.”
“Still thinking about yourself, huh? Well, I guess nothing ever changes,” he smirked.
She rolled her eyes in mock irritation, “You really stayed away too long this time.”
“You’re telling me. I’ve missed a lot,” he nodded.
Dee could not understand why she still felt so bad. Sure, being with Jack, helped, but something was different. Things were not the same. “How is everyone? Epps? Dodge?”
“They’re all excellent. Murph’s drinking a lot lately,” Munder said quietly.
“Poor Epps, she must have her hands full with all of you,” Dee shook her head.
He smiled, a real smile, “Who the hell are you kidding? She loves it…surrounded by gorgeous, sex-deprived men.”
Her eyes lit up, “Uh huh…I’m sure finding old, tattered copies of Playboy is the highlight of her day.”
“You know us so well,” he sighed.
She laughed. Maybe things never change after all? She wondered, looking away from him at nothing in particular. She exhaled deeply, “So, we gonna drink tonight?”
Munder looked at her and focused on her eyes. He saw that they still danced the same way as they used to when the lights are low. All the times they had spent here…in the same light, maybe he looks the same? A grin spread across his face, “Of course, but only if we end up drunk and naked on the pool table again.”
Dee blushed and covered her eyes while shaking her head. How could she forget? The last night she saw him, before he left last year. Before Thomas…when there was only Jack. Suddenly, things were not the same, “You know, maybe it’s not such a good idea tonight. You must be exhausted after all.”
Munder’s face fell, “Whatever you say, Dee. Come on, did you drive down here or is your car at home?”
She felt like shit now, “My car’s at home.”
“All right, let’s lock up and I’ll take you home,” he said automatically.
She didn’t move, “Munder, I don’t need you to take me home.”
He moaned, while wiping down the counter, “Do not go all feminist on me. Your parents would kill me…”
Dee sighs. He turned away from her to switch off the lights. He didn’t know. No one told him. This day just kept getting worse, “Jack, I don’t live at home anymore.”
He froze, facing the wall, “Oh, are you living with Thom-as now?”
Her voice was laced with anger, “No, I’ve got a place of mine own, two buildings down from here actually.”
He slapped the lights off without saying anything more. They walked silently to the door. They stepped outside into the cold, bright street light. He pulled the door shut and locked it, “A lot has changed, huh?” He slipped the key under the welcome mat.
Dee leaned forward, knowing how hard today was for both of them. She gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek, “I’m so glad you’re home, Jack.”
He just nodded. Dee took a few steps away from him, then turned, “By the way, not everything has changed.” She smiled.
Munder watched her walk to her building. Once she was inside, he finally turned to leave. He would have her all to himself again, he was going to make sure of that, for real this time.